Bookstand



Oct. 1941- T. c. SELF 2,260,695

BOOKSTAND Filed July 19, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l fl g 50 5% O 55 O o i '1 i s g; //0 i. I? T! i 22 l .1

Patented Oct. 2 8, 1 941 Thdin'as Cly'de Self, Martinsville" Va. I

Y Application :July 19, 1938, Serial No; 220,057 g The invention relates to bookstands andhas for its principal object; generallystated, to provide an adjustable book stand primarilydesigned for supporting large, heavy and cumber some books such as dictionaries, financial manu als, atlases, ledgers, tax and land record books, and the like in a manner which will greatly "facilitate their use.

Another object of my invention is to provide a book stand having a plurality of tables, each of which is adapted to support a portion of a book, the tables being adjustable laterally to accommodate books of different widths and thicknesses, the tables being so connected and-arranged as to provide a foundation so that any portion of the book to be consulted will be 50, supported as to lie in a substantially horizontal plane. 7

A still further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable book stand which may be conveniently mounted upon a roller tripod and supported thereon at anyone of a plurality of vertical heights, thestandbeing capable of ad- .l'ustment so as to tilt, one of the plurality of stands being provided with locking-means adapted to maintain the same in any given or -de-- sired position;

A still further object of the invention vis to provide a stand of the character described comprising a plurality of 'separate'tables, each :of which is carried by a single memben-the single. member being capable of angular adjustment so that-the stand may be positioned at any angle to facilitate the inspection of the book or record supported by the tables.-

A still further object of the invention is to provide means in connection with a stand of the character described whereby the weight of a portion'or all of the volume upononetable will cause the adjacent table to rise in propor- 1 tion to the movement of the first table.

A still furtherob-ject of the invention-is to provide simplified m'eans for horizontally adjusti'ng the position of a book table in a hori-- zontal plane.

Thisapplication is an improvement on my copending application Ser; No. 171,300, filed Octo-' ber-27, 1937.

In the accompanying drawings in which I have illustrated a preferred and modified form of my invention, s

Figure 1 is a side elevation'of the improved book stand.

Figure 2is a detail elevational view lookingin the opposite direction-from the view represented in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3'--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4" is a detail fragmentary view; par tially in elevation and partially'in section, illustrating the means for tilting the tables.

Figure 5 is a view partially in section-and partially" in elevation of a slightlymodified form.

Figure 6- is a cross sectional view taken on the J The numeral l0 designates atripod 'base mem ber having a plurality of legs- H supported on slidablyemounted, by means --ofcarriages 16, the

standards I! of the-book -supportingtables I8. Eachof the-carriages l6 is providedwith a plu-.

rality of grooved lrollers-wlil one pain-of which engages the upper edge" of-theplate {-5 andthe other pairengaging thelower edgeof the same plate- -vBy this J means the carriages 16 are ,7 adapted to move laterally-along the platei5 with minimum effort.

On .their opposite faces the carriages iii are" provided with'twopairsof rollers 2 0,'which are also grooved by means. of which the standards I! of the book tables vl8 maybe-moved vertically with reference to'the carriagesl6 also with the minimum amount of friction. Connected to the opposite side-of the-carriages [Sfifrom thefside carryingthe rollers '20 I- providetanwangle member 2| to which is connected one end vof a spring 22, the opposite end For the spring beingconveniently connected to the-standard l! by means of a chain 23. "At the upper end also of each carriage- I provide a pair. of rolls 24 supported on a horizontal bearing 25, the rolls operating in grooves 26 of the carriages"; andrengaging the standards H in order to space the same from theadjacent faces of thecarriages l6.

Preferably in vertical alinementfl-with the standard [4 I provide a pivoted member?! upi on which is hinged a pair of links 28. .The oppositeIends-of the links 28 areconnected respectively to links 29 and and each pairof links 7 29 and 30 is connected by a common-pivot 3| to one of the carriages I6. I provide one of the carriages t6 with a screw-threaded socket member. .32 and pivotally'mounted on a. bracket 33 carried :by-the plate [5 is a threaded bolt 34 4 by means of which, through; the instrumentality of the handle fi, the adjacent carriage can bemoved horizontally along the plate I5. It is obvious that a movement of one carriage by means of the links 21, 28, 29 and 30 will cause a corresponding movement, but in the opposite direction, of the other carriage. It is thus evident that upon the rotation of the screw 34 in a clockwise direction each of the carriages IE will be moved outwardly from the central pivot point 21 and likewise a counter-clockwise movement of the screw 34 will move the carriages in- Wardly toward the pivot 21. In this manner it is possible to adjust the tables l8 to accommodate books of varying sizes and varying thicknesses so that each book will be supported entirely by the top and bottom covers, leaving the back of the book unsupported. It is also obvious that by means of the springs 22 and the piv otal connection heretofore describedby which the tables are connected, that downward movement of one table with respect to its carriage will cause a corresponding upward movement of the other table with respect to the latters carriage. a

Since it is often convenient to maintain the tables in a fixed position while a certain page of the book is being examined, I preferably provide locking means which permits the tables to be maintained in fixed position at such a time. This locking means preferably comprises a fixed ratchet bar 36 carried by one of the carriages IS, the teeth of which are adapted to engage a pivoted ratchet member 31 supported upon the standard ll. The pivot 38 of the ratchet member 31 preferably extends upwardly and is provided with an arm 39 which is adapted to engage the downwardly extending arm 40 provided on a pivoted U member 4| carried by the adjacent table I8. This U member is preferably maintained out of contact with the arm 39 so that normally the parts of the ratchets 31 and 36 are in engagement. When it is desired to permit the tables to assume a correct height the U member is operated, causing the arm 40 thereof to engage the arm 39 and to thus rotate the pivoted ratchet member 31 out of engagement with the ratchet bar 36, at which time the tables I8 may adjust their position in accordance with the weight of the respective portions of the volume. After such adjustment hasbeen made the U member 4| is released and the ratchets 3B and 31 then come into engagement and maintain the parts in a desired position.

In order to permit the tilting of the table 18 the bar I5 is hingedly connected to the standard 14 by the hinge member 42 and depending from the plate I5 is a rod 43 carrying a finger 44 adapted to be selectively engaged in one of the recesses 45 of a pivoted keeper member 46, the latter being pivoted to the standard [4 and maintained in operative position by means of a spring 41 which is attached to the keeper and to the hinge member 42. It is obvious that the position of the tables l8 from a horizontal plane may be adjusted by pressing the keeper 46 and moving the finger 44 in the desired notch in the saidkeeper, after which the keeper is released and the parts will be maintained in the desired position so long as no movement is imparted to the keeper 4B. 7

Referring now to the modification shown in Figures 5 and 6, I provide in place of the plate l5 a rectangular box member [5 and at opposite ends of the box member [5 I provide rollers 2i? by means of which the standard ll? of the tables I8 are adapted to move vertically with reference to the housing or box l5. The standards I! are preferably connected by means of a bar 48 which has a pin and slot connection 49 with each of the standards Il The lower ends of the standards I1 are connected by means of the chain 23 to the spring 22, the upper end of which is connected by the angle bracket 50 to the box l 5. It is thus obvious that movement of one of the tables l8 vertically will cause a corresponding opposite movement of the other table within the limits provided by the pin and slot connection. The box I5 is preferably pivotally connected to the standard I 4 in the same manner as in the preferred form.

To provide for the horizontal adjustment of the tables I8 I provide the same with spaced angle members 5! and 52 between which is slidably received the T-head end 53 of the standard l'l and preferably provide the angle member 52 with a screw-threaded recess 54 into which is received the thumb screw 55 by means of which screw, rovided on each of the tables [8 their position with respect of the standard I! may be adjusted as desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A book stand comprising a pair of laterally spaced tables for supporting a book, a main standard positioned intermediate said tables, a member secured to said standard and positioned beneath said tables, a pair of standards each connected to one of said tables, supporting means connecting each of said last named standards to said member,

said supporting means being mounted on and longitudinally movable relative to said member, means for connecting said standards to each other for counter movement in unison, and resilient means connected to said last named standards for normally maintaining tables for supporting a book, a main standard V positioned intermediate said tables for supportmg the same, a member carried by said main standard and positioned beneath said tables, a standard connected to each of said tables, apair of carriages slidably mounted on said member, means carried by each of said carriages for slid- "ably receiving one of said last named standards,

resilient means interposed between each carriage and its cooperating standard, means for adjustably positioning said carriages on said member, and means for operatively connecting said standards for counter-movement in unison.

3. A book stand comprising a pair of spaced tables for supporting a'book, a main standard positioned intermediate said tables for supporting the same, said supporting mechanism including a member carried by said standard and extending transversely thereof, means for operatively connecting said tables to said member for vertical movement with reference to said member, means for varying the spacing of said ta 'bles, a pivot carried by said member adjacent its center, means extending in opposite directions from said pivot for connecting said tables, and means for yieldably resisting pivotal movement of said last named means.

4. A book stand comprisin a pair of spaced tables for supporting a book, a main standard positioned intermediate said tables, a member secured to said standard and positioned beneath said tables,.means connected to said member for supporting said tables, means for moving one of said tables longitudinally relative to said member, and means for transmitting the converse of said movement to the other of said tables.

5. A book stand comprising a pair. of spaced tables for supporting a book, a main standard positioned intermediate said tables, a member carried by said standard and positioned beneath said tables, a pair of carriages slidable on said member, a standard depending from each of said tables and slidably received in one of said carriages, resilient means extending between and connecting each of said carriages and its cooperating standard, and toggle means for operatively connecting said standards for simultaneous movement.

6. A book stand comprising a pair of spaced tables for supporting a book, a main standard positioned intermediate said tables, a member carried by said standard and positioned beneath said tables, supporting means connected to said member, a standard depending from each of said tables and slidably engaging said supporting means, said tables being vertically movable relative to said supporting means, toggle means securing together said depending standards for simultaneous movement, and means for locking said last-named standards against movement.

'7. A book stand comprising a pair of spaced tables for supporting a book, a main standard for supporting said tables, a member carried by said standard and positioned beneath said tables, a pair of carriages connected to said member, each of said tables being supported by and vertically movable relative to one of said carriages, and means operatively connecting said tables for simultaneous vertical movement thereof.

8. A book stand comprising a pair of normally spaced tables, a standard for supporting said tables, a member secured to and extending transversely of said standard beneath said tables, supporting means carried by said member, standards depending from said tables and slidably engaging said supporting means, means operatively connecting said tables for vertical movement in unison relative to said supporting means, and

means interposed between said standards and said supporting means for yieldably resisting said movement.

9. A book stand comprising a pair of normally THOMAS CLYDE SELF. 

